Rural Initiative Publications and ReportsCopyright (c) 2018 University of Nebraska - Lincoln All rights reserved.https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs
Recent documents in Rural Initiative Publications and Reportsen-usThu, 01 Feb 2018 13:14:45 PST3600Western Nebraska Visitors Surveyhttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/16
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/16Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:16:17 PDT
During the months of September, 2005 through August, 2006 the Western Nebraska Tourism Coalition, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Rural Initiative and University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension conducted a survey of visitors to 16 counties in Western Nebraska.

The survey was designed to provide information related to the activities and experiences of tourists and other visitors to Western Nebraska, especially as related to the hospitality industry.
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The Effect of Wal-Mart on the Economic Growth of Nebraska Countieshttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/15
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/15Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:14:28 PDT
Wal-Mart is the largest corporation in the world operating 3600 stores in the US and 1150 stores in other countries. With its highly automated distribution system, Wal-Mart has dominated the retail industry in the US becoming the largest employer and realizing higher sales than any other retail corporation in recent years. There are claims that the store has created benefits for consumers in the form of low prices, a wide assortment of products under one roof and employment opportunities and that communities have also benefited from Wal-Mart in the form of its involvement in charity and infrastructure.

Despite its market success, Wal-Mart has generated ample controversy regarding its socioeconomic impact on the communities in which it has been established as well as neighboring communities. Complaints are emanating from consumers, suppliers, community leaders and labor unions. In some communities incumbent retailers have joined forces in the fight against Wal-Mart since its opening in a community has been associated with the collapse of downtown business and mom and pop shops which had for many years identified themselves with communities.

Some consumers despite benefiting from low Wal-Mart prices have formed coalitions against shopping in the store. The always low prices have been viewed as coming at a hidden cost. Anti-Wal-Mart websites have been set up which Wal-Mart has counteracted by coming up with a website of its own aimed at improving its image in the retail world.
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Gibson NeneWal-Mart and Economic Growth of Nebraska Countieshttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/14
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/14Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:11:16 PDT
What is the issue and why is it important?

-Wal-Mart has been criticized regarding its socio-economic impact on communities

-Anti-Wal-Mart websites: Wal-Martsucks.com Wal-Mart defense Wal-Martfacts.com
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Gibson Nene et al.Rural Depopulation: A Closer Look at Nebraska’s Counties and Communitieshttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/13
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/13Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:04:17 PDT
There is no question about it; rural population loss and Metropolitan concentration continue to be important factors in shaping social and economic conditions in much of America’s Great Plains region. Despite widespread population increases throughout much of nonmetropolitan America during the 1990s, the rural Great Plains has remained an area of persistent decline (Johnson and Beale, 1998 and 2001). Declining populations have characterized many Great Plains counties since the early 1900s, and the trend has continued with few exceptions through the most recent census in 2000. In fact, for some Great Plains counties, the rate of population decline has actually accelerated in recent years.

Declining rural populations and low population densities have been themes of recurring interest for demographers, sociologists, economists, policy analysts and journalists. The causal sequence leading to the current state of decline in the rural Great Plains is broadly accepted. Changes in agricultural technology have led to increased farm size and, thus, the number of farms and related businesses. Declining farm numbers have led to declining farm populations and out-migration of young people. Declining populations and outmigration result in reduced demand for goods and services, diminished job opportunities, and still more out-migration. Since the propensity to migrate tends to decline with age, out-migration from rural areas is highest among the young. Out-migration of young people results in declining birth rates and a residual elderly population, both of which further contribute to population decline (Johansen, 1993; Coffman and Anthan, 2005).
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Randolph L. CantrellPillars of Growth in Nebraska’s Non-Metropolitan Economyhttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/11
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/11Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:00:46 PDT
Agriculture is a critical part of Nebraska’s economy, and changes in the fortunes of agriculture play an important role in the success of the state’s non-metropolitan regions. Trends toward consolidation and rising productivity in agriculture, however, have raised concerns about the future of non-metropolitan Nebraska. Some citizens and policymakers have begun to wonder if the economy can create sufficient job opportunities for non-metropolitan residents. The answer to this question depends not only upon the relative strength of the agricultural sector, but also upon the presence of other industries that can join agriculture as pillars for employment growth in non-metropolitan Nebraska.

This study, sponsored by the University of Nebraska Rural Initiative, brings together researchers from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Creighton University to examine multiple dimensions of Nebraska’s non-metropolitan economy. In addition to agriculture, we will examine the fortunes of five other key industries: 1) manufacturing, 2) tourism, 3) trucking, 4) professional and technical services, and 5) information. This list contains industries that are traditional areas of rural economic development such as manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism, but also includes rapidly expanding industries in our state (trucking) or industries within a rapidly changing national economy (professional and technical services and information). National economic forecasts suggest that industries such as trucking, tourism, professional and technical services, and information will continue to add employment at a moderate to rapid pace over the next decade.
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Eric Thompson et al.Labor Force Implications of Population Decline in Non-Metropolitan Nebraskahttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/10
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/10Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:53:07 PDT
The most recent release of population estimates from the Census Bureau indicates that 70 Nebraska counties lost population between 2000 and 2005. These counties included 52 of the 53 that recorded population losses between 1990 and 2000, joined by 18 counties that had grown through the 1990s.

While those counties estimated to have lost population over the last five years included three of 11 micropolitan core counties, eight of ten outlying microplitan counties, and even one of seven outlying metropolitan counties, the great majority were nonmetropolitan. Of the 43 Nebraska counties containing no community of 2,500 or more residents, 42 are estimated to have declined in total population since the 2000 Census.

These numbers clearly indicate a continuing concentration of Nebraskans in metropolitan centers and their suburbs. Even allowing for the possibility that inter-Census estimates for small counties may be something less than perfect, the continuing loss of population in rural portions of our state, which in some counties has continued for more than 100 years, does not inspire much optimism for their economic and social future.

As is often the case with things statistical, these aggregate data tell a story that is incomplete. Depopulation is certainly occurring, but not in the uniform way that one might imagine. In order to fully understand the likely impact of population change, one must ask not only how many people are involved, but who those people are. The answers sometimes can be counterintuitive and surprising, as is the case of changes in Nebraska’s non-metropolitan labor force.

Of the 53 Nebraska counties that lost population between 1990 and 2000, Census results indicate that 31 saw actual increases in the size of their labor force. Of those same counties, 43 saw an increase in their labor force participation rate and 45 experienced an increase in the proportion of the labor force with full-time work.
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Randolph L. CantrellNebraska City Visitors Surveyhttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/9
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/9Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:50:39 PDT
During the month of July, 2003, Nebraska City Tourism and Events and the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln conducted a survey of visitors to the Nebraska City area.

The survey was designed to provide information related to the activities and experiences of tourists and other visitors to the Nebraska City area, especially as related to the hospitality industry.
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Randolph L. CantrellNebraska’s Micropolitan Statistical Areas: A Growing Piece of a Shrinking Piehttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/8
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/8Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:49:30 PDT
They have been called “urban islands in a shortgrass sea” (Popper and Popper, 1986) and “middle places” (Swanson, 2007). They are the small urban centers that dot the Great Plains and are home to an important share of the region’s non-metropolitan population and economic activity. Compared to the much larger metropolitan centers such as Omaha and Lincoln, they may appear to be minor players in the state’s social and economic landscape—but that would underestimate their role. Individually they anchor the regional “pillars of growth” identified by Thompson (Thompson et al., 2007), and collectively they play a determining role in the trends that are shaping the future of the state. They are economic centers worthy of examination in their own right.

In this analysis, we will look at recent and long-term trends found in those small Nebraska cities that have been identified by the federal government as micropolitan statistical areas and compare their demographic and economic performance to their metropolitan counterparts.
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Randolph L. CantrellJefferson County Visitors Surveyhttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/7
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/7Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:12:15 PDT
Between the months of June and December, 2004, the Jefferson County Visitors Committee, with the assistance of the University of Nebraska’s Rural Initiative and Nebraska Cooperative Extension, conducted a survey of visitors to Fairbury and the Jefferson County area.

The survey was designed to provide information related to the activities and experiences of tourists and other visitors to the Jefferson County area, especially as related to the hospitality industry.
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Farm Real Estate Ownership Transfer Patterns in Nebraska’s Panhandle Regionhttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/6
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/6Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:11:09 PDT
The purpose of this study was to review and analyze the entire universe of recent agricultural real estate activity in the multi-county, Panhandle Region of Nebraska. This region was chosen because of the widely-held perception that a consider¬able number of acquisitions in recent years were by absentee owners. By investigating all recorded agricultural land trans¬fers (filed in public records) for the period 2003 through the first half of 2006, we were able to identify the true characteris¬tics of the market and analyze the associated implications.
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Bruce Johnson et al.Non-Farm Proprietors and the Nebraska Economy: 1997-2006https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/5
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/5Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:05:57 PDT
Non-farm proprietors are of growing importance in the Nebraska economy. This paper utilizes recently released data from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to further explore this important class of workers, and to identify trends in their distribution and impact across Nebraska’s 93 counties. These data demonstrate that growth in non-farm proprietor jobs has not been matched by growth in income for those jobs, and that the discrepancy between jobs and income is most pronounced in rural portions of the state.
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Randolph L. CantrellOpportunities for rural development through “bird friendly” farms and agricultural/nature tourismhttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/4
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/4Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:03:51 PDT
This project contributes to our understanding of bird habitat management practices in cropland farming systems and to our knowledge of Nebraska farmers’ opinions regarding birds, their habitats, children’s roles on the farm, and a certification process that would tie all of these together. A “bird friendly” farm certification could involve a professional assessment of bird habitat and populations and include various farming practices and non-cropped areas. Certified farms would be publicly recognized by a label, which could help market Nebraska farm products, provide increased opportunities for tourism, and give desirable cropland birds a boost.

Approximately 85 birds are frequently found in Nebraska cropland. Information on basic life history, agricultural associations, and suggested management practices of these birds was compiled in a database. We then chose 32 management practices that would benefit these birds and that could be accomplished on farms. These practices were put in a survey and sent to 1,241 Nebraska farmers from March-May 2007. The members of both the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society (NSAS) and the Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) were included in the mailing, along with 1,000 other Nebraska farmers whose names and addresses were obtained from Experian Marketing Solutions (www.experianmarketingsolutions.com). Returned questionnaires included 289 that were completed and usable, which is 25% of the farming recipients; 37 were non-deliverable and 57 indicated they were not farming. This 25% response rate is within the expected range (Dillman 2000).
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Marcy Pummill et al.Big Box Stores: Their Impacts on the Economy and Tips for Competinghttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/3
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/3Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:59:43 PDT
This is a study in three parts: the general impact of Wal-Mart and big box stores on the economy; an empirical look at Wal-Mart’s impacts on 15 Nebraska communities; and a review of research on ways that local retailers can compete against big box stores.

Part one suggests that Wal-Mart has both positive and negative impacts on the economy. Wal-Mart helps increase productivity and causes consumer prices to fall. Further, a number of studies found that employment increased in communities that received a new Wal-Mart store. However, other studies found that entry of a Wal-Mart failed to lead to net increases in local employment, and one study found a correlation between Wal-Mart locations and rising local poverty rates. More generally Wal-Mart entry increased concerns in many communities about the changes it may cause to the size and structure of the retail industry.

Part two shows that entry of a Wal-Mart does not seem to have a significant effect on retail employment, but can impact the number of retail establishments in rural Nebraska communities. Wal-Mart’s effect is also visible in general merchandising, particularly with respect to the level for employment.

In part three, four strategies are suggested for competing against Wal-Mart and other big box stores. They are improving service quality, improving merchandising, improving marketing, and improving management of marketing information.
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Sean Golden et al.A Crash Course in Infrastructure: Expensive but Essential Components for Rural (and Urban) Nebraska’s Futurehttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/2
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/2Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:26:08 PDT
“Ironically rural America has become viewed by a growing number of Americans as having a higher quality of life not because of wat it has, but rather because of what it does not have.” This quote from an unknown author found by a graduate student in the University of Nebraska Rural Initiative focuses on a poin we often forget.

No doubt you can name many things we are happy not to have in rural Nebraska: smog, traffic jams, urban canyons, lack of green or open spaces, the list goes on. Many of these “deficiencies” amount to assets that rural areas may be able to turn into future opportunities. For example Dr. Larry Swanson, a rural sociologist, originally from Nebraska and now at the University of Montana, made the point that young people, like his twenty‐ something sons, are going to be looking for places to move that have amenities because “they can’t afford to buy a house in western Montana.” By “amenities” he is speaking of rivers, the wide open spaces, big skies and lush prairies, mountains, lakes, forests, and wildlife. Rural Nebraska offers many of the amenities his sons and others like them are seeking. We rank 10th in stream miles nationally, we have pine forests in the West and beautiful broadleaf trees in the Northeast and Southeast, expansive prairies with the Sandhills being the largest, and abundant wildlife. At least some of these enterprising young people who might consider Nebraska as they search for new roots will bring their ownjobs with them or create them when they settle down. Retirees are another group who look for affordable places with amenities that offer an enjoyable lifestyle. Yet to appeal to these potential future rural Nebraskans we need to be planning long term to insure that the basics that underie any successful community are built and maintained. I’m talking about the broad category of infrastructure.
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Sandra K. ScofieldCan the Path be Altered?: Salvaging and Renewing Communities of the Rural Plainshttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/1
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ruralinitiativepubs/1Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:58:52 PDT
Dr. Larry Swanson, Director of the Center for the Rocky Mountain West at the University of Montana, delivered the second-annual lecture on "Grassland Conservation and Sustainable Communities" on Thursday, April 12, 2007. Dr. Swanson's message that there is hope for rural communities if we act aggressively and immediately was heard by a crowd of 140 at the Great Plains Art Museum in Lincoln, NE. You can learn more about the lecture in the articles below or by visiting www.grasslandfoundation.org. We would like to thank everyone who attended the lecture and those who made the event possible. A special thanks to the co-sponsors of this years lecture: the Center for Great Plains Studies, the Rural Initiative at UNL, the UNL Economics Department, the Center for Grassland Studies, the UNL School of Natural Resources, the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, the Prairie Plains Resources Institute. We have the lecture and its associated PowerPoint presentation available for download. [Also available online at http://www.grasslandfoundation.org/work/events/april07.html ]

The audio file of the lecture is deposited in this repository in mp3 file format, attached to the main page as a “related” or “supplementary” file. It is 49 Mbytes (52 minutes).
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Larry Swanson